The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1887-07-06
"HAND WORK" IN SWEDEN.


How the Use of implements " Taught In
the scandinavian i'eninsulA. u
Slojd, Or hand work, is the art Of using
ordinary implements-such as a knife, a
saw, a hammer or a paint brush. Mr..
Squeers seems to have had some shadowy
notion Of this system. "C-l-e-a-n, clean:
w-i-n-d-e-r, window; now go and clean it,"
said that practical person. Slojd teaching Is
to technical instruction what u liberal ed
ucation is to professional training. 1t is
valued, not only as the first step toward
learning a trade, but also as a training for
the faculties. Appreciation of form, a
proper value Of time and method. neat
ness of manipulation and habits of indus
try and self reliance are some OF the bless
ings with which it is credited. Enthusi-
asts, moreover, hope that by including
manual work among ordinary school sub
jects bodily labor may in time be raised
from the low esteem where 1t too often
lies.
Slojd was invented by one Uno Cyg-
neus, a Fin, who, after qualifying in sew
eral handicrafts, became a schoolmaster
and was commissioned to draw up a re-
port, on which the Finnish system of gov
eminent schools is based. In Sweden his
system was copied some fifteen years ago,
and it has there spread 80 rapidly that in
many Of the common schools slojd forms
part of the regular course. Those who
view hand work merely as a training for
the faculties confine their teaching to
simple work in wood. But those who
value it also as subsidiary to technical in
struction teach slojd in many branches
and carry it beyond the use Of the sim
plest tools. Bookblnding, tinkering,
smiths work, painting, basket making
shoemakine and tailoring are among their
subjects, and they spare no efforts to
make the system attractive to pupils and
parents. At some schools pupils are al
lowed to keep what they have made, or to
buy it cheaply; or, to secure continuous
attendance, they are credited with deferred
pay, which they forfeit by leaving before
a stipulated course has been completed.
On completion of the ourse the pupil is
presented with a bank book representing
his accumulated earnings and receives a
parting counsel to increase them.
The parents sympathy Is also angled
for. At q school in a laboring district 1t
Is a rule that pupils shall be taught to
make and use such common implements
as are most serviceable to working people
-rakes, spades, AK handles and the like.
Assiduous young thinkers, tailors and shoe
makers are allowed the use of school I'M
PIGMENTS to make the family repairs, and
thus exists In Sweden the phenomenon Of
u self repairing boy, who mends his own
raiment and cobbles his own shoes.
In Sweden, In Norway and In Fin
land the system has proved most success
full. There seems no reason why 1t should
not be introduced and become equally
successful here. The taste among nom
laboring classes for using implements is
universal. Too often, however, the
hands that guide the implements are
rather Jealous tLan skillful. But II
schools taught sloid, these manual short
cOmings would be remedied. The tool
chest, now a Pandora's box Of evil, bring
ing terror to paternal bosoms and impre-
cations on the donor, would become a
blessing. Instead Of ampntating chair
legs or studding the furniture with tin
tacks, its skilled pOssessor would do the
family's odd jobs. The penknife found in
the pocket of every schoolboy but Macau-
lays would whittle and carve, under due
supervision, to the advantage Of the fit
tings and its owners fingers. Adults
would cense to slice their faces in vain at
tempts to shave themselves; and to the
adept in slojl, the opening Of a meat tin
or sardine box would not mean lockjaw. II
to the use of ordinary tools some crafts like
bookbinding were added, brain workers
would grow up with II recreative hobby
ready made. Even n course of darning
and button sewing might not come amiss
to youths intended for professions, where,
according to the registrar generals re-
turns, they will be condemned to bachler-
hood ill W.-LOndon Saturday Review.